you guys make it look so easy... but I have this crippling fear

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>>1208190
Yes, please don't go, we have enough tourists out there. Sit in your room.

>>1208190
it can happen

>>1208190
Nothing wrong with that. Just go out six days for each one you spend inside on your phone.

I planned my travel itinerary for 6 months prior to leaving. Watching flashy GoPro Youtube travel videos and consuming travel blogs became an almost obsession. It was going to be the adventure of a lifetime.

I arrived in Bangkok on a Friday night. By the time I had got through customs, found my way out of the airport and been scammed by the first taxi driver I ever encountered, I arrived at my hostel around 10pm. I had a private room booked. I dumped by bags and collapsed on the bed after being up for over 24 hours by that point. I couldn't sleep. I was here. This was it. Now what?

Before that night was through, I laid on that bed and wept. Hungry, tired as fuck, feeling extremely introverted and out of my depth. I resolved in those hours to forget my proposed itinerary and to go home within a week, 2 months ahead of my departure date.

Saturday lunchtime I managed to pull myself together, slathered myself in suncream and mosquito spray and headed to 7-11 for breakfast. It was across the street from my hostel. But the 30 second trip was like stepping into an alien world. Elderly Thais selling literal junk in the gutters, dogs roaming everywhere, appallingly hot and humid. I grabbed some chocolate milk and a pre-packaged croissant and scurried back to my room. A little later, I braved the trek to Khao San Rd.

>>1208312

It took me 10 minutes just to cross the main road. The heat was killing me. I was accosted at every turn by tuktuk drivers, Indians selling dodgy suits and all the other scammers. My first proper meal was a luke warm Big Mac on Khao San, surrounded by flies. It took me half an hour just to find the right toiletries to buy in the chemist (OMG everything is written in Thai!). By the time I made it back to my hostel, a 10 minute walk away, I was exhausted. "No fucking way am I going to handle this. This was a mistake. I want out" My decision was made.....

Two months later and I was gutted to be flying home having travelled all over SE Asia. It wasnt the shiny GoPro fantasy I had wanted. But fuck, it was good.

Culture shock is REAL. If you are socially anxious, shy or whatever or just a fucking pussy like me, then yeah, be prepared for a big shock, especially if you are travelling to a developing country. But trust me, its amazing how quickly you can adapt, how much confidence and excitement can be gained from slowly going native in a foreign land.

Just do it, OP. Fucking do it.

>>1208313
cool story man, were you alone? can you tell more?

>>1208331

Yes, I travelled alone. What do you want to know?

>>1208312
>>1208313
To be honest, even as someone who doesn't find travel particularly scary and has done a lot of it I always find the first day in Asia after travelling from Europe a nightmare. The jetlag is hell in that direction and I go into overdrive thinking everyone is out to fuck me over since I know my brain couldn't really handle it properly if somebody actually did.

>>1208360

I hear you. It was first time travelling ever and it just hit me hard. The jetlag was tough and you simply can't prepare for the climate. Everywhere is so fucking noisy too.

It's those early days where you are completely naive and trying to figure stuff out. Figuring out that walking out into oncoming traffic is really the only way to cross a road. Figuring out that when the guy in the turban stops you and tells you "YOU LUCKY MAN", you're not supposed to stop and ask why. Figuring out that walking around a city like Bangkok in the baking heat, over-tired and under-fed will exhaust you within minutes.

Its great when you start to get the hang of things though.

Odd, I find that when I travel alone I do a lot of things I wouldn't normally do.

>>1208313
Nice blog, subscribed

>>1208345
not the other Anon, but I'm traveling Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand for 3 weeks in march with a group and a guide. I will have some time on my own in Hanoi and Bangkok, any tips on how to deal with the situation (my first time traveling alone)? And how to avoid getting scammed or scared to death?
I truly am a little afraid but also curious af